Hey there book lover! We all know how bittersweet is to finish a series, so naturally, I had all the emotions with this book. But if you like high stakes, romance, fantasy, and amazing characters. You NEED to read this series. The prequel series is The Legends of Thezmarr and I recommend reading that one first.
✔️ 3rd in a trilogy
✔️ guard & charge
✔️ royals
✔️ forbidden love
✔️ found family
Silver & Smoke by Helen Scheuerer
I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye to this world and these characters. I absolutely loved The Legends of Thezmarr, and even though I struggled a bit with the beginning of The Ashes of Thezmarr, it completely won me over in the end. What a phenomenal and beautiful journey Wren and Torj had! I already loved them as side characters in the first series, but here they truly shone — they were everything.
Wren is such an outstanding FMC — resilient, fierce, and strong, yet unafraid to be soft and feminine with the right people. She knows how to ask for help and lean on others, which made her even more admirable. And Torj… what a man! He’s exactly what Wren needed — the perfect warrior to stand beside her, supporting and loving her through it all. Together, they’re the definition of balance, drawing strength from one another while finding it within themselves. Their growth — both individually and as a couple — was simply beautiful.
The found family element was perfection (no surprise there — it was one of my favorite parts of The Legends of Thezmarr too). Seeing Thea and Wilder again made my heart so happy, and of course, Kipp and Cal! Especially Kipp — his sunshine personality continues to be one of my favorite things about this world. The new friendships Wren builds were just as lovely, and I loved seeing her open her heart again.
Yes, there were plenty of clichés, but honestly? They didn’t bother me. Helen writes them in a way that feels comforting and joyful. My only tiny gripe is that some plot points were resolved a little too conveniently for my taste — and I would’ve loved a bit more angst around the whole betrothal situation.
As always, it’s bittersweet to finish a series, but I’m so happy for these characters. They’ve fought so hard and finally found their peace and happiness. What a perfect, heartfelt ending to such an incredible journey. Go live your happy lives now, my beloved Thezmarr crew 🥹🤎
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
love, Lin
